Guangen Shen (申关根)

Grant Status$0 needed

Expected Usage of Funding

Tuition:

$0

School Supplies:

$20

Textbooks:

$50

Transportation:

$0

Room & Board:

$50

Other:

$80

Profile

I was born in a small remote village, nestled in the mountains. Although I long to visit the big cities, my village lacks developed roads. People in my village either do farm work or hard labor. The only source of income in my family is the money earned by my father. Unfortunately, when I was little, I fractured my right arm, and in order to afford my medical expenses, his family had to borrow money from neighbors. To pay for tuition fees of both my sister and me, my father had to find a second job. The work was hard to find because my father is illiterate. Like many other poor families who have children attending school, my family is heavily in debt.

Despite my difficult circumstances, I love to read. Physics is my favorite subject. When I was in elementary school, I often borrowed physics textbooks from my older sister every time I went home. Since I lived approximately 8.3 miles away from my elementary, I could only go home once every three weeks. In middle school, I enjoyed physics and chemistry, but now, I have discovered that astronomy is my passion.

I like science so much that I decided to be a scientist. People say that poor people do not have aspirations, but I disagree – success does not always require money. I think that as long as I have confidence and perseverance, anything is possible. When I was in elementary school, I knew that I had to study hard to get into middle school. And when I was in middle school, I made up his mind to study hard to get into college. I believe that knowledge can change my destiny. In rural and remote areas, the only way out is to learn more. Being skillful and knowledgeable can help me achieve my goals. I want my parents to have happy and fulfilling lives – in my opinion, being poor is not pathetic, but staying poor is cowardly. One day, I believe I will get out of poverty and lead a happy life. My arm may be fractured now, but my hopes are not.

Updates

We are now fundraising to support Guangen for another year! As you can read from his handwritten letters, your contribution has made a tremendous difference. $250 paid for tuition, books, school supplies, and transportation for the 2009-2010 school year. Unlike some of our other partners which provide a one-time grant to a student, the scholarships provided by the Peach Foundation last for two years in order to provide the children with a sustained period of education. In September, the children returned to school, and we are hoping to raise another $200 for the 2010-2011 year. One of the most innovative aspects of Givology is the opportunity to make connections across the world – both inspiring and being inspired by the children that you support. We sincerely hope you consider supporting Guangen again. Even if you choose not to make a financial contribution, we still urge you to send him a message that we can deliver. Words of encouragement can go a very long way!

See below for a letter from Guangen Shen. Givology apologizes that it has taken so much time to receive and translate these letters. Please message Guangen back to show your continued support! --- Dear Givology: My name is Guangen Shen, I am very happy to receive your letter. I really like what you wrote me and thank you very much for your support and encouragement. I also would like to thank you for your financial support, because this is what gives me a chance to study and brings me the opportunity to change my life. Your support is like a lighthouse when I am lost in the sea, helping me find a way out and ensuring that I don’t need to worry about being lost again. I am from a family that isn’t financially secure mostly because my parents are illiterate. They never had a chance to make good money. My two sisters are in school; therefore we are cutting down our expenses trying to save as much money as possible. My parents even had to borrow money from our neighbors door to door in ...

Guangen Shen has successfully completed one year of school! As you can read from his handwritten letters , your contribution has made a tremendous difference. $250 paid for tuition, books, school supplies, and transportation for the 2008-2009 school year. Unlike some of our other partners which provide a one-time grant to a student, the scholarships provided by the Peach Foundation last for two years in order to provide the children with a sustained period of education. In September, the children returned to school, and we are hoping to raise another $250 for the 2009-2010 academic year. One of the most innovative aspects of Givology is the opportunity to make connections across the world – both inspiring and being inspired by the children that you support. We sincerely hope you consider supporting Guangen again. Even if you choose not to make a financial contribution, we still urge you to send him a message that we can deliver. Words of encouragement can go a very long way!

Dear Givology friends, Thank you very much for your kind sponsorship. It was your help that gave me the opportunity to go back to the school; it was your help that changed my future. Because of your help, I do not have to be bound by the small land owned by my family anymore. Your help brought a whole new world to my life. Some time ago, my father accidentally broke his leg and had to be hospitalized. Thanks to the socialist system, half of the hospital expense was covered by the medical insurance provided by the village. This relieved our family from heavy financial burdens. However, since then, the heavy burden of the family fell on my mother’s shoulder. I would like to thank you all for your thoughtfulness and good wishes, and I sincerely wish you all health and happiness. Last year, my father went out to do part time jobs. No one expected that he came back being very sick. In the hospital, after a series of medical checks, the doctor told him that he had contracted Pneumonia. He...